The Canarian project LIFE COSTAdapta had its own stand at the European Week of Regions and Cities, where 27 visitors from 10 countries and European institutions learned how to protect San Felipe’s homes from the waves.
By Yolanda Durán.
Brussels, Thursday 15 October 2026. The LIFE COSTAdapta project, co-funded by the European Union’s LIFE Programme, presented its coastal adaptation solution on Wednesday 14 October 2026 at the EU Regions Week 2026. Throughout the day, from 8:00 to 18:30, the project occupied a stand in the exhibition area of Grand Hall 2 at the Square Brussels convention centre.
Attendance at the event was possible thanks to Fundación Finnova, a project partner, which secured an exhibition space and dedicated it to LIFE COSTAdapta. Gaining access as an exhibitor to this event is highly competitive, and the stand allowed policymakers, technicians, and experts from all over Europe to see how Gran Canaria is preparing for sea-level rise.
A tide pool-reef to break the waves LIFE COSTAdapta is developing a tide pool-reef in San Felipe (Gran Canaria), a hybrid model that combines tide pools with living breakwaters. Its goal is to reduce wave impact on homes and the urban front, protect the coastline, and create new marine habitats. The solution uses nature as infrastructure, moving away from traditional concrete walls.
At the stand, the Finnova team explained the project using audiovisual materials and brochures. Juan Manuel Revuelta, CEO of Fundación Finnova; Pilar Santamaría, Communication Director; and Nekane Martín-Vallejo, EU Project Assistant, attended to the visitors.
International presence at the stand According to the stand’s registration sheet, 27 people from 10 countries showed interest in the project. Among them were representatives from the European Commission (DG REGIO and DG ENV), the European Parliament, and the Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU. Regions such as Tuscany and the Azores, municipalities from Ukraine, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and research centres like Fondazione Bruno Kessler and KU Leuven also visited the stand. Furthermore, Manuela Gómez Villalonga, Director of the European and International Projects Office at the Universitat Jaume I-Empresa Foundation, also stopped by.
The team also established contact with Atlantic Cities, the cooperation platform for cities in the Atlantic Arc, which includes the Canary Islands. The network defends the interests of these cities in European policies and funding programmes.
The major event for European regional policy The 24th edition of the EU Regions Week 2026 took place in Brussels from Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 October 2026 under the motto “Strong regions, strong Europe”. It is organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) and the European Committee of the Regions. Every year, the programme brings together policymakers, regional and local representatives, experts, and journalists to debate the future of cohesion policy.
About LIFE COSTAdapta LIFE COSTAdapta (“Adapting our coasts to climate change”) has a total budget of €3.34 million and runs from July 2023 to June 2030. It is coordinated by the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council (CIEGC), with partners including the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), the University of Cantabria (UC), INGECID, Raley Estudios Costeros, ECOncrete AQUA, the Canary Islands Foundation for Recycling and Sustainable Development (FCR), and Fundación Finnova. The project is funded under LIFE grant agreement 101113851. More information at costadapta.energiagrancanaria.com.
Project co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Event sources: EU Regions Week, 2026 edition guide, stand profile in the programme.